Stephan Crétier (born 8 August 1963) is a Canadian businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the founding president and chief executive officer of GardaWorld.[1]

Crétier founded GardaWorld in 1995 with an investment of $25,000, which he raised by placing a second mortgage on his home.[2] The company now generates over $5 billion in annual revenues[3] and is one of the largest employers in the security industry, with 122 000 employees worldwide. Over the past 25 years, Crétier has pushed the expansion of his company[4] into the security, risk management and cash services sectors, having grown the company organically and through acquisitions.

Recognized as Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998,[5] Growth Leader by Profit 100 magazine for 11 consecutive years,[6] and Great Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006,[7] Crétier was named one of Canada's Entrepreneurs of the Decade by Profit Magazine in 2009 and recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.[8] He took the company private[9][10] in a $1.1 billion transaction[11] with support from private equity firm Apax Partners.[12]

In July 2019, he led the largest buyout in Canadian history in a transaction worth $5.2bn with private equity firm BC Partners where Crétier now owns with selected management 49% of GardaWorld.[13]

Philanthropy

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In 2006 he founded the Stéphan Crétier Foundation. In 2018 the foundation created the B.O.L.O Program for offering financial incentives to the public for finding Canada's top 25 most wanted fugitives.[14][15]

In November 2019, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts unveiled the Stephan Crétier and Stéphany Maillery Wing for the Arts of One World.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "GardaWorld - About Us".
  2. ^ "In conversation: Stephan Crétier of Garda On becoming the Wal-mart of security, and what exactly Garda is doing in the middle east". Retrieved 2015-02-02.
  3. ^ "GardaWorld - Fast Facts".
  4. ^ "Overview: Sights for sore eyes The PROFIT 100 is a very tough club to join. It's not enough to have posted a hot year or two, because the ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies is based ..."
  5. ^ "Stephan Cretier Chairman/President/CEO, Garda World Security Corp". Bloomberg News.
  6. ^ "Canada's fastest-growing companies The Canadian economy seems to be mired in a prolonged period of subpar growth. Hardly a fertile climate, you'd think, for building growth stars. Try telling that to the PROFIT".
  7. ^ "Company Overview of Garda World Security Corp". Bloomberg News. 11 August 2023.
  8. ^ "GardaWorld - Our History".
  9. ^ Silcoff, Sean (7 September 2012). "Garda World Security founder leads company buyout". The Globe and Mail.
  10. ^ "Garda to go private following $1.1-billion deal between founder, Apax Partners".
  11. ^ "Garda Security Gets $1.1 Billion Buyout Offer". 7 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Transaction to Take Garda Private by a Group Led by Company Founder, Chairman and CEO Stephan Cretier Completed". 13 November 2012.
  13. ^ Gottfried, Miriam (2019-07-23). "BC Partners Nears Deal to Buy Security-Services Company Garda World". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  14. ^ "About". Bolo Program. 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  15. ^ "CBC News". CBC. 2018-05-01. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  16. ^ "The Arts of One World Stephan Crétier and Stéphany Maillery Wing". Montreal Museums. Retrieved 2022-10-05.